On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 19:15:07 +0000, alexandru_mg3 <
alexandru_mg3@...>
wrote:
>Hello Alex,
> The meaning(s) of prefix "ex" in Latin cannot be far away for the
>internal meaning of "ex" :
>
> "ex PREP ABL
> - out of, from;
> - by reason of;
> - according to;
> - because of, as a result of; "
>
> Of course, Miguel is better placed to detail this...
It's always difficult to assign exact meanings to prepositions and
preverbs. The most popular Latin preverbs were ad- and in-, generally
denoting movement towards, and de:- and ex-, generally denoting movement
away from. The exact meaning depends on the verb being prefixed. The verb
<cambiare>, for instance, "to change", was extended by ex- in Vulgar Latin
(*ex-cambiare > Fr. échanger, Ita. scambiare, Rom. schimba), with meaning
"exchange" (German aus-wechseln). Why ex- and not, for instance, trans-?
Hard to say, that's just the way it is. For the verb that, if I remember
correctly, started this, zbura < ex-volare, the original meaning is clear:
"to fly out" (ausfliegen).
=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...